The Cheetah Coalition #21

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Dear Parents,

Please be aware that school will be in session on Monday, February 19. This was formerly a holiday, but was added as an instructional makeup day after the teacher strike. If your student will be absent for any reason, please let the main office know.

We are so excited to have free meals now offered for every student at Atkinson. For those who are wanting breakfast in the morning, please be aware that students must arrive for breakfast between 8:30 a.m. and 8:35 a.m. Students who arrive after 8:35 a.m. will not be able to access breakfast. We will only make exceptions to this on a case by case basis for those with specials needs or circumstances.

For those parents awaiting TAG decisions for their children, our TAG team is meeting this weekend, so communication regarding those decisions will come sometime next week.

The next principal's coffees will be on March 7 and 8. We will be discussing anticipated cuts to Atkinson staffing for next year and the impacts on students.

As always, contact me with any questions or concerns. Have a wonderful weekend!

Debbie Armendariz

Principal

Atkinson Elementary School

darmenda@pps.net

Looking ahead to summer?

Neurodiversity Human Alliance’s website has information about the Summer Social Groups they provide.

National Random Acts of Kindness Day is Saturday, February 17th!

Even one small act of kindness can mean a great deal to somebody. Random Acts of Kindness is just one website where you can find information and inspiration on spreading kindness.

The value spotlight for this month is Empathy!

Celebrating Black History Month

This link is a list of leisure activities compiled from Proser Portland’s Black Affinity Group.

Here are the different ways in which you can receive information related to Atkinson Elementary and PPS.

School Website

Remind

School Messenger

*It is important to be connected with both Remind and School Messenger as PPS and Atkinson use both to send out important news.

Classroom Teachers

PTA

• Website: atkinsonelementarypta.org

• Newsletter: posted on our website and also sent out to our mailing list.

• Classroom Rep emails (parents opt in through the classroom teacher)

• Facebook (Atkinson Elementary Parent Community)

• Instagram (@Atkinson_PTA)

• Questions/comments: president@atkinsonpta.org

Amigos

ParentVue

If your child is involved in after school activities in the gym, please remind ALL of your children that are in the gym that it is a learning space and should be treated respectfully. The bikes and equipment near the bikes are for our Adapted PE students and should not be touched or used. When pieces get messed with, or go missing, the equipment becomes unsafe for our students that need to use it.

Thank you,

Ms. Sanchez and Ms. Armendariz

Check out the February Talking Circle newsletter which has info about upcoming program events as well as local Native events in the community.

2024-25 Elementary School and ACCESS Academy Lottery window will be open February 15, 2024 – March 15, 2024. Applications available online HERE starting on February 15.

Dear Students & Families,

Between March 13 and April 4, 2024, PPS students in grades 3–11 will be asked to take a short 10–15 minute survey developed by the Oregon Department of Education called the Student Educational Equity Development (SEED) Survey.

The survey is designed to capture students’ sense of belonging and experience at school. It also asks students about their experiences in class, their access to resources, and what they have learned. Survey results are used to create more equitable learning experiences for students and to inform state and local education investment decisions.

Additional Helpful Information:

• Students can skip questions within the survey if they do not want to or cannot respond for any reason.
• The survey will be available for students experiencing significant cognitive disabilities that captures the same information with the support of a teacher or staff member.
• Parents or students can decline participation. The simplest way to decline is to have the student start the survey and answer “no” to the first question, which is “Do you want to participate in this survey?” Parents can also decline by completing the form located at the bottom of our SEED Survey web page.

The Atkinson Spirit Shop is now open! Tshirts, Sweatshirts, mugs, notebooks, stickers, and more! Order directly through our threadless shop and have items delivered straight to you. 10% of our proceeds + $1 per item sold goes to support the ACLU! https://atkinsonpta.threadless.com

Join us on Monday, February 26 at Dick’s Primal Burger at 4905 S.E. Woodstock Blvd. Dick’s Primal Burger is generously donating 15% of all proceeds to the Atkinson PTA -- this includes both lunch and dinner, and both dine-in and take out orders from 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Please note that this does not include third party ordering and delivery services. Tell your family, friends, and neighbors to mark their calendars for February 26 and support our Atkinson community at Dick’s Primal Burger!

Thank you to everyone who came out and celebrated our very talented performers at the Talent Shows! We are so grateful to our wonderful community who made this such a spectacular event! With all of your help, we were able to raise more than $3,900 to support PTA and events like this. Congratulations to the winners of our drawings: Ellie Baumgartner, Christy Ernst, and Thomas Gilman! And finally, that you to the many wonderful sponsors, many of whom are Atkinson families, who made this possible: The Baker's Mark, The Gartrell Group, Mike Merrill & Angie Frank, Kate Clayton, Macaron's by Sabira, Migration Brewing, Parkside Chiropractic, Leslie Barnard Booth & many more!

Check out the latest PTA newsletter HERE.

The Office of Teaching and Learning, in partnership with the Office of Student Learning and Family Engagement, is excited to host Raising Readers: A Family Workshop on Saturday, March 2, 2024 from 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m.! This dynamic event is geared toward PPS families with pre-K through 5th grade students and will feature Indigenous author, poet, storyteller and performer Ed Edmo and will take place at Roosevelt High School. This workshop brings together parents, guardians, and children in a collaborative learning environment focused on enhancing literacy skills and nurturing a lifelong passion for books. Please see the fliers attached here where families can learn more and RSVP to reserve their space:

• Flier in English
• Flier in Spanish

• February 15–March 15 — DLI Kinder Lottery Window is open
  
• Monday, February 19 — Presidents Day/Instructional Makeup Day, SCHOOL IN SESSION
  
• Tuesday, February 20 — Amigos Meeting via Zoom, 6:30 p.m.
  
• Thursday, February 29 — Specials Night, 6—7:30 p.m.
  
• Friday, March 1 — Kindergarten Registration Opens
  
• Thursday, March 7 — Principal's Coffee in English, 8:50 a.m.
  
• Thursday, March 7 — Connect to Kinder, 6—7 p.m.
  
• Friday, March 8 — Principal's Coffee in Spanish, 8:50 a.m.